Maximum Ride: Out For Revenge
by tiel lover
Summary: Max has morphed into an Eraser -- permanently! With no voice and the rest of the Flock closing in on her, can Max save herself from her own family’s fury?
1. The Hotel

_I was running, running down a tunnel beneath the streets of New York City. Raw sewage flowed sluggishly down the canal in the middle of the tunnel. A rat scurried across the slime-covered walkway in front of me. My lungs felt like they were going to burst -- I was so tired. The footsteps of my pursuers reached my ears, reminding me to continue my flight. I looked over my shoulder, but could see nothing in the darkness._

_"Max!" a voice called dreamily from behind me. "Where are you?"_

_I knew that voice; it was Fang's. Every part of me said to stop, but I kept running. There was something wrong with the voice; the way it called to me. I came to a bend in the tunnel and turned, still running full out when I ran smack dab into Fang's muscular chest. I fell over backwards onto the hard concrete sidewalk. Some mystery ooze off of the ceiling dripped onto my cheek and slid down into my shirt. Fang smiled at me in the darkness._

_"Hello Maximum!" he laughed. Then he kicked his black boot into the side of my head. Everything went dark._

I awoke in a cold sweat. My head was ringing, but not because I had gotten kicked in the head. I sat up and self-consciously put my hand up to feel my scalp where Fang had kicked me. My skin was clean and flawless under my tangled dirty-blonde hair. That dream is really starting to get to me. I can't even remember how many times I have had that same dream already. The location is always different but the ending is always the same. I slid my feet out from underneath the covers of my bed and set them on the cold, hardwood flooring of the hotel we were staying in for the night. I crept silently into the bathroom, trying not to awake Nudge, Angel, and Total on the way.

All four of us were sleeping in the same room; one bed for me and another for the two younger girls (and Total, who refused to sleep on the ground) to share. Once in the bathroom, I splashed some water onto my face from out of the sink and ran my fingers through my tangled hair. I stopped and looked into the mirror. _No._ It couldn't be!

Small, dark hairs dotted my hands, arms, and a little bit of my face. I pulled the hem of my tank top up and peered at my stomach. Yep, hair there too. Fearing the worst, I opened my mouth. My top two eye teeth were longer and had become sharp and pointy. I pressed my index finger against one. Blood oozed from the small puncture wound that the tooth had made. Then I noticed my finger nails. They had grown into huge, curved claws. That was the last straw. I jumped into the bathtub and pulled the curtain closed before I could look in the mirror again. I sat there, shivering, and thought about what I had just seen. It couldn't be true, could it?!

The first time I thought that I was becoming an Eraser, the only proof that I had was my image in the mirror. This time though, the transformation was physical. _What if Fang and the others find out?!_ _I can't let them see me like this!_ Without thinking, I ran out of the bathroom and opened the sliding glass door that lead to the balcony. I walked out on to the little concrete patio that was suspended from the side of the building and closed the door, silently, behind me. I was glad that we had gotten rooms on the top floor of the hotel.

An endless sea made up of bright lights of New York stretched out before me. Normally, I would have spent a few minutes looking out at the busy city, but not tonight. I need to get away and relax a little. Without further thought, I jumped off of the balcony. Air rushed by me as I fell. _Shoot, I hope nobody is out on their balcony right now._ Luckily, I didn't see any stunned faces peering at me before I snapped my wings open and pulled out of the freefall. I soared upwards into the sky, pouring on as much speed as I could muster without using my warp drive. I flew higher than I have ever had before. I started to black out from the lack of oxygen and the heavy smog. Red spots swarmed before my eyes like a bunch of annoying ladybugs. I was about to fly downwards into the cleaner air, when I heard a voice behind me.

"Max!" I turned in midair to see Fang flying towards me.

"Fang." I whispered as I passed out.

I couldn't have been unconscious long, because when I awoke Fang was struggling to stay aloft as he carried me. I could feel every stroke of his dark and powerful wings as they kept the two of us in the air. He must have notice that I had awakened, because he glanced down at me.

"Don't EVER do that again!" he warned, his voice a mixture of anger and concern. I pressed my head against his chest and kept it there, breathing in his comforting scent. I really can't describe how comfort smells, it just makes you feel safe and warm, like nothing bad with ever happen again.

Fang carried me all the way back to the hotel. I guess he was afraid to let me go again in case I did something stupid. I didn't blame him.

Instead landing on the balcony of my room like I thought he would, Fang flew up to the roof and, very gently, set me down on the ridge (that's where the two side of the roof meet) before sitting down beside me. I breathed in heavily.

"Max . . ." he started to say.

A rush of tears came so unexpectedly, that even I was caught unawares. "I'm sorry!" I sniffed, burying my head in his shoulder. That's me, unshakable Max. Fang seemed shocked by my sudden outburst, but allowed me to cry all over him. He stroked my hair and murmured comforting things into my ear.

I cried until I could control my emotions and stop the flow of tears. I pulled my head away from Fang, noticing the big wet spot that I had left on his shirt._ Gosh, he must be soaked under there!_ My eyes were all red and puffy and my nose was runny. I must have looked like a wreck, but Fang didn't seem to notice. He stared out into the night sky, his face as expressionless as ever. Finally, he turned and looked at me.

"Max, you really scared me." he said, "I couldn't believe it when you jumped off of the balcony in front of me." It suddenly occurred to me that he had been sitting on the balcony next to me, shielded from my view by only a cement wall.

I opened my mouth to say something, but only a hiccup came out. _Drat!_

"Max? Are you alright?" Fang asked. I wanted to tell him everything that had happened, but the words wouldn't come.

"Yeah, I'm alright." I replied. Fang didn't look like he believed me, but he kept his mouth shut.

I felt his hand come around and start scratching my back in between my wings. Man, it felt so good! I leaned my head on him and looked out over the city. My heart did a little flutter. _Why do I always feel so good when I am around him?_

I could have sat there forever with him, looking out over the bright city. But Fang finally stood and I followed pursuit.

"Good Ni . . ." I started to say when Fang kissed me. His lips were so warm and soft and they pressed into mine perfectly. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. _Oh man. I am kissing FANG! Like right now! _I stood there and kissed him back until my lungs started to scream for air. I felt light headed and dizzy.

"Good night, Maximum." he smiled. Then Fang leapt off of the roof and glided down to the balcony connected to his room, leaving me standing alone in the night. I was dumbfounded. I had just kissed Fang! My heart was thumping so loudly that I thought all of New York could hear it.

I stayed on the roof until sunrise, pondering over the events of the night.


	2. Morph

Before Angel and Nudge awoke, I crept back into the room. There was no way that I would let them know about last night's events, unless Angel probed my mind and found out. I walked into the bathroom, intending to take a shower. I made the mistake of glancing in the mirror before I got in. I touched my face, not believing what I was seeing. All of the extra hair that had been on my body a little while ago was gone. My nails were normal again and my teeth had shrunk down and become more rounded. Only the small, red scab on my finger told me that all of those things had existed. I hopped into the shower before I freaked myself out thinking about it.

I turned the shower up as hot as it would go and stood under the boiling stream, letting the water wash away all of my thoughts and fears. Outside the bathroom, I could hear Nudge moaning as she stirred awake. Angel had the TV on and was watching something on Nickelodeon. I finished my shower and dried myself off with a clean, white hotel towel. Then I put on my clothes. Thankfully, Nudge had done what I asked for once and taken all of our clothes down to the little laundry mat next door. I walked out of the bathroom, with my hair still wet, and flopped onto the nearest bed. Nudge made a mad dash for the unoccupied bathroom. I sat and watched Spongebob Squarepants with Angel and Total until Nudge had finished with her shower, which took nearly a half hour.

I got up rather reluctantly and knocked on the door that separated our room from the boys'.

"Come on in!" I heard Iggy yell over the blare of the TV. The Gasman and Iggy had hotwired the TV to allow them to watch all of the Pay-Per-View movies for free. When I entered, the Gasman was jumping up and down on the bed closest to the TV, watching two guys fight with swords and stuff.

"Hey Max." I heard Iggy say. I turned to see him sitting at a little table next to the windows. How could the blind guy tell that it was me in the room over the din of the TV? I have no idea.

"Hey Ig." I replied, sitting in the chair across from him.

"What?" he yelled, fighting the TV. I got up and unplugged the noisy thing. The Gasman stopped jumping up and down on the bed as the screen went black and frowned at me. Now that I could actually hear, I could tell that the shower was running.

"Finally, peace and quiet!" Iggy sighed. I knew what Iggy meant, but I found the statement rather humorous, since he goes nuts when there is no sound. I chuckled and Iggy scowled at me, which only made me laugh more.

Hearing the familiar sound of a door opening, I looked over to see Fang coming out of the bathroom, dressed only in a towel. Fang didn't acknowledge me, but I could tell that he was watching my every move. I blushed and looked away, tempted to fly out the open glass doors that lead outside. As a matter of fact, that didn't seem like a bad idea. _What is the guy's problem? If I got caught in a towel, I run away screaming like a sissy!_

"_Fang is in a TOWEL! Oh my gosh! You can't be serious Max!"_ Angel projected her thoughts into my mind. I could hear her giggling. _"What does he look like?"_

I couldn't believe that a six year old was asking me about a mostly-nude guy, but I thought-answered her question. _He's buff, with muscles everywhere, but skinny. He has lots of scars though._

I stopped thinking my answer to Angel and started examining Fang's scars a lot more closely. He had lots of long, red scars that ran along his back from where Erasers' claws had scrapped him. Fang finish picking out his clothes and turned around to look right at me with his dark eyes. I suddenly felt naked in his gaze, like it penetrated right though my clothes. I blushed harder than before and turned away. I kept my eyes averted until I heard the bathroom door shut, then I looked at Iggy, who wolf-whistled. I resist the urge to hit the guy and opened the balcony doors.

"Where are you going?" he asked worriedly.

"Out." I gruffly reply. There is no way I am telling him where I am going. I jump off the balcony just like I did last night, only flaring my wings a little earlier this time because it was daylight. I needed to get away for a little while. I fly on and on over the city, using my raptor vision to scan the streets below for my prey. After a while, I spot a deserted dock by the ocean. Perfect. I fly down land on the dock. I don't know how long I sat there; letting the rain pour down on me (it had started raining). The seawater was really churned up; brown and muddy.

"Hello lunch!" I heard a gritty voice growl. I jumped to my feet and spun around. Sure enough, there is a fully morphed Eraser right behind me.

"Hello stupid." I spit back at him. The Eraser growls at me. I am shocked by the fact that he is alone and unarmed. But I don't have much time to think about that. I rush forward and launch a roundhouse kick at his knees, knocking him off balance. I follow up with two quick upper cuts on the chin. The Eraser doesn't stand a chance.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang came out of the bathroom in a black t-shirt and jeans. "Where's Max?" he asked Iggy.

"Gone."

Fang was starting to feel uneasy. "Where?"  
Iggy turned his head in Fang's direction. "She didn't say."

Fang's brain was whirling. _Where did Max go? Is she in trouble?_

_Max was considering going to the ocean._ Angel thought at Fang.

Fang noted the open patio doors are took a running leap out of them, unfurling his wings as he went. He just had to find Max, before she did something stupid.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I reeled backwards as the Eraser punched me in the stomach. Pain shot up my torso, my stomach felt like it was on fire! _Pain is just a message. Ignore the message._ The Eraser brought both fists down on my head. I had a lot of calls on hold right now.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang flew through the rain, his dark-colored wings pumping as fast as they could go. He could just barely see the ocean on the horizon, a dark blob of boiling water. The rain was coming down harder and harder, making visibility almost nothing. _Max, where are you?!_ Suddenly, lightning flashed and Fang could make out two forms fighting on a dock over the raging sea. He tilted his wings and dove towards the two fighting things, hoping that Max was one of them.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I was having trouble seeing my opponent through the thick curtain of rain that was coming down. A furry fist slammed into my stomach, raking its claws along my hairy hide. Hairy?! I looked down at myself in shock. I had fully transformed into an Eraser! Filled with new Eraser strength, I thrust both fists into the other Eraser, whose mouth was hanging wide open. He fell over backwards, straight into the sea. I put my paws on my knee breathing heavily. That's when I saw Fang. He was standing at the edge of the dock, staring at me. Lightning flashed and I could see the hate in his eyes. _Oh no . . ._

"Fang!" I cried out, but my throat turned my cry of joy into a threatening growl. Fang began to advance towards me, but I didn't think that he was looking for a hug.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Just as Fang landed, he heard a large grunt and a splash as something fell into the water. He ran towards the dock, hoping that Max was alright. But the only things he saw were a lot of blood and one lone Eraser. Fang could see the whole scenario rolling through his mind; Max fighting the Eraser when it stabbed her and pushed her into the ocean. Why else would the smelly beast be here? Fang waited for about half a minute, hoping the Max would appear from the waves. But Max never did. Tears streamed down Fang's face, mixing with the rain and being tossed away by the wind. Max was dead, and the Eraser was going to pay.


	3. Battle Of Love

I stood there watching as Fang walked threateningly down the dock towards me. _Fang must think that I killed Max! That I am the enemy!_ I called out to him again.

"Fang! St . . ." I growled in my gravely Eraser voice.

"You killed Max!" he screamed, interrupting me. "You killed her! And you are going to pay!" I could just barely see the tears that were streaming down his face. _Fang is crying?! He must love me more than I thought. _I didn't want to fight Fang, he was my best friend, but he would kill me if I didn't defend myself. In the pouring rain, I could barely make out his figure. He was in the fighting stance that I had taught the whole Flock. I was proud and scared all at the same time. I knew from experience that a mad Fang is nothing to toy with.

Fang launched into the air and landed a foot in my stomach. I cried out a little, but my voice sounded more like a growl.

"Fang, please!" I cried, but he cut my voice off with a scissor kick to my neck, intending to snap it. But his foot landed wrong and something in my neck snapped besides my spine. I cried out in genuine pain, but no noise came out of my mouth. _Did_ _he break my voice box?!_

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Fang was pleased and angry all at the same time. This monster had killed his best friend and he had seriously wounded it. He smiled sadly as he prepared for the kill. _Max, this is for you._

_______________________________________________________________________________________

I was wheezing all over the place, trying to make some sort of noise, but nothing would come out of my mouth. _Dang it!_ I felt like kicking a wall, but there was none to kick. Fang was fighting more furiously now, I knew he was coming close to finishing the fight. All I could do was block his hits as much as I could. I would not hurt him, even if he was trying to kill me. I got an idea. I pretended to stumble and he took the opportunity to put a boot in my stomach. All of the air in my lungs whooshed out and I fell over the edge of the dock into the water below.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang peered over the edge of the dock into the water where his foe had disappeared. The vile beast never appeared. _Good riddance_. Fang sat down on the edge of the dock and looked out over the water.

"Max!" he sobbed. "Max, my beautiful Max!" Fang hit the wooden planks of the dock hard enough to snap the rotten wood in two. He hardly seemed to notice. Fang felt new tears rushing to his eyes. His best friend, leader, and reason to live had disappeared from his life forever and she was never, ever coming back. _At least I avenged her death._ Fang sat on the dock and cried softly, not caring about anything in the world except his dead friend.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I clung to a barnacle-encrusted post beneath the dock. The water was cold, and I was shivering, but I had to know that Fang was okay. He sat up there and sobbed his heart out and there was nothing I could do to comfort him. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't, not with my voice box broken. _Maybe Mom could fix it. But I'm in New York, and that's a long way from Arizona._ I stayed there until Fang got up and flew away. I wanted to follow him home but I decided that it was best if I just stayed where I was. Crawling up onto the beach beneath the dock, I curled up and fell asleep listening to the roar of the waves.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang flew back to the hotel in a trance. _Max is dead. I can't believe it._ Fang still had a picture of her in his mind; beautiful, strong, proud Max. The love of his life. Fang nearly ran into the balcony of the boys' hotel room, but he didn't care. Nothing matter now that Max was dead. He shuffled into the room, soaked clothing and all. His black combat boots made wet sounds and left puddles of water on the carpet.

"Fang! You're back! We were so worried about you!" The Gasman exclaimed when he spotted Fang. Then he paused, confused. "Fang, where's Max?" Fang literally collapsed on a bed and, putting his head in his hands, started sobbing again. Gazzy stared at him in horror.

"Max isn't . . . dead, is she?"

Fang solemnly nodded his head in between sobs. Gazzy started to cry. Iggy, Nudge, Total, and Angel came out of the adjoining room and stared at the two boys.

"What's wrong with them?" Nudge asked Iggy.

Iggy opened his mouth to reply by the Gasman answered first. "Max . . ." he stuttered. "Max is dead!" Tears started to well in Nudge and Angel's eyes. They hugged Iggy's lean form and cried for all they were worth. Total sat down on Iggy's shoe and whined. Iggy was trying hard to stay sane. But he soon started to sob and hugged the two girls that were clutching his middle. As Max would have put it, 'It was turning out to be a regular sob-fest.'


	4. Secret Agent Max

When I opened my eyes, all I could see was the ocean. I sat bolt upright, spraying sand in all directions as I did so. A small crab, upset by my failing body, scurried away to hide under a rock. I was hyperventilating as I tried to figure out where I was. Then yesterday's memories came back to me. Fang. Gosh, I hoped that he was okay. Seeing him so broken up had really hurt. And what about the rest of the Flock? How would they take the news?

I tried my voice out. A soft wheezing noise came from my throat. I almost jumped for joy. I could whisper again! I frowned and sat back down in the wet sand. My voice wouldn't fully return for a few days and the Flock, thinking that I was dead, would have moved on by then. Somehow, I had to let them know that I was okay, but in Eraser form.

I stood up in the gravelly sand of the beach. A bit of seaweed clung to my fur, and I pulled it off. I looked down at my body, examining it. My clothes had ripped when I changed, and they clung to me in tatters. Patches of greasy, cocoa brown fur peaked through the holes in my clothing, but thankfully, everything important was covered.

I bent down and washed my face in the sea water, feeling the salt sting the cuts on my face. _Now, what to eat?_ I couldn't go very far in Eraser form; someone was bound to call the cops. I looked at the boats moored to the dock. They were worth a shot.

Creeping quietly, I sneaked up to the biggest boat I could find. It was a white pleasure boat, about one hundred feet long with small cabin. I listened for any signs of life on board, but could hear none so I stepped onto the deck, which bobbed alarmingly under my weight. _Steady, Max . . ._ I walked up to the front door and, looking around, used my claw to pick the lock. I smiled. At least those darn things were good for something.

The interior of the cabin was plush; benches with overstuffed covers, a small side table and book shelf, and, thankfully, a small fridge. I opened the door and looked inside. Whoever owned this rig kept it well-stocked. There were a few sodas, carrot sticks, tuna sandwiches, and even half of a Devil's Food cake. I grabbed the cake, two sodas, three sandwiches, and a whole bag of carrot sticks. Glancing around I saw a box filled with bags of potato chips and water bottles, so I grabbed a few of each of those as well.

After leaving the boat, I returned to my area underneath the dock and downed my loot. The cake was a bit stale, but delicious none the less. After finishing my meal, I lay contentedly in the sand and thought about my next move. Convincing the Flock that I was an Eraser was going to be a tricky move, especially since I had no voice. I wasn't eager to have my hairy butt kicked by Fang again. Perhaps if I "attacked" the Flock, Angel would read my mind and find out who I was. It was worth a try. I chuckled as I took off. At this rate, I could apply for a position as a spy with the CIA. _Agent Maximum Ride. It had a nice ring to it._

Luckily, my transformation had not removed my wings, so I could still fly. I had a hard time staying aloft, and I soon understood why the Erasers resembled giant fridges in the air. It took me a while to reach the hotel where the Flock was staying, but I made it without falling out of the sky like a brick.

I landed on the roof of the hotel with a thump. _Oh gosh, please don't send anyone up to investigate!_ Below me, I head a sliding glass door slide open and voices whispering quietly. _The Flock._ Then I realized how much trouble I was in. What if Angel didn't read my mind?! I would be pulverized into hairy mush by my own family. But it was too late to turn back now.

I heard someone drop off of the balcony before snapping their wings open. My breath was coming in ragged gulps. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. I saw a glimpse of a dark wing over the edge of the roof. _Fang._ I stood statue-still on the rooftop, waiting for Fang to appear. He finally did, sailing smoothly into my sight like some dark angel of death. His eyes narrowed when he saw me.

"You!" Fang hissed through his teeth. I saw him twitch his index finger and middle finger. Jeb had taught that motion to us. It meant _'Break Your Stay.'_ I could hear the hissing of air as the rest of the Flock when airborne over the side of the balcony below. Soon all five of them were lined up on the edge of the roof, facing me. Total was in Angel's arms, growling.

I saw Iggy throw something. I hit the roof hard, hoping to avoid the explosion. Pure, white light burst from the explosive, blinding me. The Flock attacked.

Everything was a whirl of color. Iggy, Angel, Nudge, and the Gasman were taking it out on me. Total was chewing on my boot. Fang stood at a distance, watching as I went down under the Flock's punches. Finally, they all backed off to leaving me lying, crumpled, on the roof. Fang walked forward purposefully and knelt down at my side. It had started to drizzle and his black hair was plastered against his head.

"You are a worthless, hairy beast." he mocked. "You killed our friend and now you are going to pay for coming back!" Fang kicked me in the side. The rest of the Flock came over and started to shove and kick me towards the edge. _No. NO!_ I struggled to get up, but every time I got my legs under me, someone's foot would press me back to the ground. I was bleeding all over the place. _Angel, help!_

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Angel suddenly stopped kicking the Eraser and blinked. She could hear a soft screaming noise in her mind, like someone calling for help. Was it the Eraser? Angel didn't really care if the creature got hurt, but there was something strangely familiar about the way it thought. She probed its mind a little harder and the thoughts got clearer. _Angel, HELP!_

"Max?" Angel asked in wonder as the Eraser disappeared over the edge.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang watched with satisfaction as the Eraser plummeted over the edge of the roof. He glanced at Angel, who seemed very confused all of a sudden.

"Angel? What is it?" he asked. Angel shook her head like a wet dog, as if she was trying to clear her mind. She smiled angelically at him.

"Oh, it's nothing."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I was falling down, down, down towards the ground. I couldn't believe that the Flock hadn't recognized me, even in Eraser form, or that Angel hadn't picked out my identity from my mind. But those were small potatoes to the problem I was facing now. I was about to become a Max pancake on the side walk if I didn't start flying, NOW.

I whipped my patchy Eraser wings out and started flapping for all I was worth. The ground was still rushing up to meet me. _Come on, work!_ I gave my wings one last big, desperate flap and I pulled out of my freefall, only one hundred feet from the ground. I looked back at the hotel and saw the Flock staring at me angrily, so I poured on all of the speed I could and made for the hills, literally.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang punched the wall of the hotel room in anger. The stupid Eraser had escaped alive! _It almost reminds me of Max_. Fang shook his head. Max had been nothing like the Eraser. He sighed. Being leader wasn't easy. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since Max's death and he was already having trouble dealing with the everyday issues of the Flock. Gazzy had had nightmares all night and Fang wasn't sure how to comfort the terrified eight-year-old. _If only Max were here . . ._

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Angel was confused. She could have sworn that the Eraser had Max's thoughts. But that wasn't possible. _Maybe I should tell Fang._ No, she couldn't tell Fang, he would only laugh at her. Perhaps a small nap would clear her mind.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang stood on the balcony, watching the silent stars, or at least those he could see, wink at him from the night sky. The rest of the Flock was already asleep in bed. Fang sat down in one of the off-white plastic lawn chairs that sat on the porch. He had made up his mind. Even if it was the lasting thing he did, he would track down Max's murderer and kill it.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I couldn't believe it! Fang had broken yet another promise to me!

_A little tap on the door made me jump, every muscle bunched with fear. It had to be Iggy. "I'm out of the bathroom," I called, hearing my voice shake a little._

_"Yeah," Fang said. "I can tell, 'cause your voice is coming from in there."_

_"What do you want?"_

_"Can I come in?"_

_"No!"_

_So of course the door opened. Fang leaned in the doorway. He saw how I looked, pale and big-eyed, and freaked. Compulsively I touched my face, looked down at my hands. Still covered with plain skin._

_One of his dark eyebrows rose, and he came in and closed the door. "What's going on?" he asked._

_"I don't know," I whispered. "Something's wrong with me, but I don't know what."_

_Fang waited for a moment, then sat down next to me on the bed and put his arm gently across my shoulders. I was all huddled up, damp in my towel, feeling miserable and more scared than I had in - days._

_"You'll be okay." he said._

_"How do __**you**__ know?"_

_"Because I know everything, as I keep reminding you."_

_I was too miserable to smile._

_"Look," he said. "Whatever this is, we'll deal with it. We always have before."_

_I swallowed. I was dying to tell him about Eraser Max but was too afraid and ashamed._

_"Fang - if I'm changing, if I'm turning into something . . . bad - will you deal with it? To protect the others?"_

_Our eyes met for a long time. He knew what I was asking him. If I turned into an Eraser, it would be his job to kill me._

_He looked down at his feet, then up at me. "Yes. I'll do what has to be done._

_I breathed out in relief. "Thank you," I said quietly._

_Fang stood up and squeezed my shoulder. "You'll be okay," he said again. He learned down and quickly kissed my forehead. "I promise."_

_Then he was gone, and I was more confused than ever._

I kicked a rock that was resting on the rocky dirt. It bounced and rolled away down the hill. I sat down in the dirt and absentmindedly drew pictures with my claw in it. I remembered how, so shortly after that conversation, he had said that he would _always _know me, no matter what form I was in. Now look at the mess I was in! He didn't recognize me like he said he would! I started to cry, which was a surprise to me, because I didn't even know if Erasers could cry. Apparently they could - even though they didn't.

I stood up defiantly. Sitting in the dirt and mopping wouldn't get me anywhere. I had made up my mind. I was going to Arizona, to see my mom, even if it killed me.


	5. On the Hunt

Fang sat on one of the beds in the boys' room. The rest of the Flock was gathered around him in anticipation.

"Fang?" Angel started. "What are we going to do about the Eraser that killed Max? I mean, it got away and all, but don't you think that we should do something about it?"

Fang smiled weakly at the youngest girl. "Yes, I was thinking the same thing."

Angel grinned. "I know."

"I agree with Angel. We can't just let the beast get away with what it did." Iggy replied carefully.

"Yeah! We could blow it up with a bomb or something!" Gazzy suggested. Then he hit a high-five with Iggy, who was already planning what kind of bomb to use.

Nudge sat quietly on the floor, stretching out her tawny wings. "Fang?"

Fang looked at Nudge. "Yes?"

"What if Max isn't dead? Could she be at the School or something?"

Fang was taken by surprise. He hadn't even considered the option that Max - somehow - could still be alive. The simple idea was too painful to think about. He thought about Nudge's suggestion carefully, turning the idea over in his mind.

"I suppose that could be possible Nudge." Fang replied softly, though inside he was bursting with new hope. Maybe, just maybe, Max wasn't dead. _No. Don't get your hopes up just yet Fang. Max is dead. You saw what happened!_

"Then, would we still go after the Eraser?" Nudge pressed.

"Of course!" Total yipped. "Why wouldn't we?"

Nudge looked at Angel hopefully. Angel kept her eyes downcast.

"Angel?" Fang looked at the six-year-old quizzically. "Do you have something to tell us?"

Angel looked at Fang. He noted that her lower jaw was trembling slightly. "No." she said after a moment's hesitation.

Fang didn't believe her. _We will discuss this later, okay?_ Angel nodded slightly. "Okay. Here's the plan. We head to California and the School. With any luck the Eraser will be headed there as well, and maybe, we might find Max."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I cursed as yet another tree limb hit me in the face, adding to the numerous cuts that already spider-webbed around it. I HATED being an Eraser. They were big, clumsy, hairy, and they smelled bad. I was not enjoying my time as one. The only positive thing about being part wolf was that people ran away instead to trying to catch and torture you. I was fine with the scary part. It suited my mood.

I found a clearing in the woods to sleep in. _Thank you, national parks!_ I had spent the whole day flying and hadn't made as much progress as I had hoped. It turned out that Erasers, with their patchy wings, could not fly fast. AT ALL. I dropped my tattered backpack, which I had found in a garbage can back in NY, on the ground and sat down beside it. Home sweet home. With a little difficulty, I opened the pack and rummaged through its contents. I pulled out three double cheeseburgers, two apple pies, a yogurt parfait, five chocolate chip cookies, and two medium-size boxes of slightly-soggy French fries; all of which I had gotten from a McDonald's dumpster. The food was cold and a day old, but it hit the spot.

After my meal, I climbed/flew up a fifty-foot pine tree and settled on a thick branch about half way up. Exhausted and full, I fell asleep almost immediately.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nearly one hundred miles away, the Flock was settling in for the night. Fang was pleased with the good time that they had made that day. As far as he could tell, they were somewhere near Kansas. He listened to the familiar sounds of the Flock preparing to sleep, wincing when he didn't hear Max's voice singing softly to Gazzy and Angel.

Fang still couldn't believe that Max truly gone. Every day, he expected to hear her snapping at him or one of the others over some small detail. He missed her so much. He heard Angel speak to him in his mind. _So do I, Fang._

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I awoke as the sun was peeping over the clouds, turning the sky into an array of colors. My bat-like wings were seriously sore and I climbed down the tree to avoid using them. I looked at the tree bark that had been shredded by my claws. _I sure hope that a forest ranger doesn't come through here anytime soon._ I grinned, thinking about the ranger totally freaking out about his precious tree. I rummaged through my pack and pigged down the remaining food; two burgers, an apple pie, and a chicken salad with Caesar dressing. After eating I made my way over to a small stream that I had seen from the air. _Just because I'm an Eraser doesn't mean that I have to SMELL like one._

Thirty minutes later I was flying towards Arizona at top speed, wet and cold, but a whole lot cleaner.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang awoke to the sound of Jiffy-Pop popcorn popping. Iggy was sitting near a fire and holding the silver foil container. Angel and Nudge were sitting nearby on a log, attempting to play marbles with some small rocks. Total was trying to teach them how to shoot.

"No, like this!" he said, trying to hold a rock in his paw. But because he didn't have thumbs, the rock kept slipping out of his black, furry paws.

"Mornin'" Fang said, sitting down next to Iggy. "Where's Gazzy?"

Iggy grinned at Fang. "The girls sent him away after he had one of his . . . occurrences."

Fang chuckled and stared at the fire. "Popcorn's done!" Iggy yelled, removing the bloated container from the fire. Angel raced over and grabbed the hot handle from him.

"Thanks!" she yelled as she returned to the log to eat her breakfast. Iggy shrugged and pulled out another unpopped container.

"Iggy? The popcorn's burnt." Angel complained. Fang's eyes got wide. Iggy NEVER burnt food. Fang's dark eyes looked back at Angel, who was contentedly munching on the popcorn. A snicker came from the bushes behind her. _The Gasman, no doubt._ Fang smiled and returned to watching the fire. Gazzy was just trying out his voice-throwing trick. He was getting really good at it.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I wished for the ninetieth time that I wasn't an Eraser. I was so slow! I wished that I was able to swoop and soar again like the rest of the Flock. I wasn't sure how far I had traveled already, but it wasn't fast enough. Judging from my current speed, it would take me about a week to reach Arizona. No wonder Erasers preferred ground transportation!

Suddenly an idea popped into my head. I could e-mail Fang and tell him what happened! But there were a few hitches to the idea:

I need a computer

I don't have a computer

Because I'm an Eraser, I can't get a computer!

Fang may not check his e-mail

Despite the impossibility of my idea, I decided to give it a try. It just might work.


	6. Breaking In

It was night time in the little town of Marion, Illinois; at least that is what the highway sign had said. I was hiding in an alley, watching the public library. The last of the employees had come out about ten minutes ago, but I was waiting just to make sure that everyone was out.

After fifteen minutes my legs were cramping. I made sure that no one was around, and then sprinted across the road, keeping to pools of darkness. I made my way around to the back door and picked the lock, hoping that there were no security systems. I tensed, waiting to run at the sound of sirens, but there was no noise other than my own breathing. After all, who would steal a bunch of books?

I quickly located the small desk that contained the public computers. I pushed the power button on the nearest one. _Please don't ask for a password!_ Thankfully, the computer booted without a problem. I opened Internet Explorer, which loaded the library's home page. As soon as the page had loaded, I typed . into the address bar. The computer loaded Fang's blog so slowly that it was painful, but finally, it finished. I clicked on the "Send the Editor an E-mail!" link and waited impatiently for the darn page to load.

I looked at the clock on the wall. 11:30 p.m. _I sure hope that no one every checks up on this place. _The page had finished loading so I began to type my message.

Fang -

I know that this seems kind of unbelievable, but I am still alive. I morphed into an Eraser on the dock in NY and haven't been able to return to my normal, human self. (My ribs still hurt where you kicked me.) I'll see you when I'm better.

- Max

I typed 'URGENT! FROM MAX!' into the subject bar and clicked the send button. With any luck, Fang would read it and figure out what happened.

I shut down the computer and left the building in a better mood. Maybe my nightmare was coming to an end.


	7. Arizona

Fang and the Flock wheeled above the sun-scorched earth that was known as Arizona. Below, he could see the small town where Dr. Martinez, Max's mom, lived. Fang angled his body into a gentle dive, heading for the woods that surrounded the house. The Flock followed without a word.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Ella Martinez, Max's half sister, was in the backyard when five strangers and a dog stepped out of the woods that surrounded her home. There were two girls, both young than herself, and three boys of varying ages. All of them were in bad condition; torn clothes, dirt streaked faces, blood stained. Ella carefully looked at the one who appeared to be the leader. "Fang?"

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Every fiber in Fang's body was yelling "FLY!", but he stood calmly as the girl examined him. This was probably Max's half-sister Ella.

"Fang?" the girl asked.

"Yes." Fang replied unsteadily. The girl grinned really big and rushed towards him. Fang expected her to pull out a knife or a gun but instead found himself wrapped up in a great big bear hug. He stood ridged until the girl pulled away, taking a good amount of dirt with her.

"Mom!" the girl yelled. "Max's family is here!" Dr. Martinez came out of the house in a matter of seconds. She stood on the porch and grinned at the Flock.

Come on in!" she invited. Then she frowned. "Where's Max?"

"She isn't with us right now. But we are on our way to meet her." Fang lied.

Dr. Martinez didn't seem happy with the explanation, but she didn't prod for more information. Fang was glad that she didn't push the subject. He didn't need to break down right here in someone's backyard.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I flew through the sky, hauling my heavy body along with my eighteen foot wingspan. I had just passed the border of New Mexico, and I was feeling more hopeful. _I'm almost home._

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang was more comfortable than he ever had been before. Dr. Martinez had insisted that the entire Flock took showers, change into brand new clothes, and then eat a huge dinner. Now Fang was lying on the bed in 'his' room, pondering over what to do next. He finally decided to stay a night or two at the Martinez's and then head to California._ After all, everyone needed to rest. They had just flown across almost the whole United States!_ Fang slipped under the freshly washed covers of 'his' bed and fell into a troubled sleep.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I panted as I landed in the backyard of the Martinez's house. I was exhausted, tired, and hungry. I wanted to lie down and sleep for a few years. But I made myself walk up to the back door and knock.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang awoke immediately and silently. He crept to his bedroom window and peered out into the night._ What caused the knocking sound? Erasers?_ Fang's breath caught in his throat. A lone Eraser was standing on the back doorstep in a pool of moonlight. _The same one that killed Max. _He quietly opened the door and stealthily ran down the hallway.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I could hear the sound of the door's bolt being drawn back. _What if my own mom didn't recognize me? _I didn't have any more time to think because the door swung open to reveal Fang's fist, which punched me in the face._ What is Fang doing here!?_ I reeled backwards as Fang planted a boot in my stomach.

I was so tired of this! Why does he have to be everywhere?! Without thinking, I swung my paw out and cuffed his cheek. Blood poured out of the slash marks I had made on his face with my claws.

I was shocked by my own actions. I had just hit my best friend in the face! I paused at looked at him briefly before turning and running away as fast as I could. Fang just stood there in the yard, his own blood dripping down onto his shirt and pooling at his feet as he stared after me.

I ran as fast as I could through the forest, not caring where I was going. Branches whipped my face and roots threaten to trip me, but I continued my flight. Finally, I tripped and fell to the ground. I stayed on the ground and cried until I didn't have any tears left to cry.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang sat in the Martinez's bathroom, pouring antiseptic on the gashes that the Eraser's claws had left. He winced slightly as the liquid entered the wound and burned. Dabbing away the blood on his face with a paper towel, he made his way to the Martinez's computer room. He would check his blog and relax a bit before going back to bed.

Fang booted up the Mac and opened his blog. There were over three hundred messages in his inbox, so he scrolled down the list to see if there was anything important. At the bottom of the list, there was a message marked 'URGENT! FROM MAX!' Fang opened it.

_Fang -_

_I know that this seems kind of unbelievable, but I am still alive. I morphed into an Eraser on the dock in NY and haven't been able to return to my normal, human self. (My ribs still hurt where you kicked me.) I'll see you when I'm better._

_- Max_

This had to be some type of scam, but Fang couldn't recall putting up a post about visiting New York or any docks there. Suddenly, all the pieces began to come together in his mind. _Oh no._

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I stood up from the patch of dirt where I had been sitting. I was tired of being an Eraser, tired of being hunted by my own family, tired of having Fang break his promises! I looked at my arm. Maybe there was human skin somewhere under all of that fur. There was only one way to find out. I opened my mouth and bit down on my arm as hard as I could, tearing away the flesh.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang flew above the forest as fast as he could, looking down into the trees for any sign of life.

"Max!" he yelled loudly. Fang's voice echoed over the treetops. "Max!" _Where is she?!_ Fang spotted a large, hairy object in a clearing below him. He dove towards it. _Please be Max and not a bear!_

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I had ripped a fairly large chunk of flesh out of my arm on the first bite. Dark red blood poured out of the half-foot gouge in my skin, tinted black in the moonlight. I was starting to feel weak already from the lost of blood. My tongue felt thick and dry in my mouth. _Am I going to die?_ I didn't really care about dying any more. I opened my mouth and took a second bite.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Fang landed in the clearing. A small brown bear scuttled around in a patch of leaves, looking for food. Fang swore. The bear looked at him in surprise then scurried away into a patch of blackberries. He just had to find Max!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I was starting to see red spots in front of my eyes. Every breath was painful. I was sitting in enough blood to fill a small pond. Gore floated in the blood like little boats. The moonlight hurt my eyes, so I kept them downcast. I looked at my arm then looked again in shock. The Eraser hair was falling off like dead leaves to reveal smooth, and bloody, human skin beneath. I smiled faintly. I would die human.

Then, thankfully, I slipped away into unconsciousness.


	8. Losing Hope

Fang swooped above the tree tops faster and faster. How long had he been looking for Max? Ten, fifteen minutes? It seemed like an eternity. He looked down at the trees, hoping to see some sort of sign; a flash of cocoa brown fur, a rustling branch, even . . . a moan of pain. Fang shuttered and shook the thought out of his mind.

Finally, at the center of the forest he spotted an unmoving, dirty brown lump. Fang immediately dove towards it at top speed, flaring his black wings out at the last second. He hit the ground hard, but managed to stay upright. In the middle of a small clearing, lay Max.

Fang rushed over to his friend's side. Her fur was matted and sticky with blood. The ground was stained red. Max's breathing was rapped and irregular, and it shuddered in her chest. Fang franticly felt for a pulse. He finally found it, a faint, weak rhythm on her neck.

"Max, oh Max." Fang whispered as he saw the huge bite marks in her arm. Blood seeped out of it and onto the ground, where it was absorbed. His eyes teared. How could he have let this happen?! Fang reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pull out Dr. Martinez's cell phone, which he had grabbed on the way out of the house. _Hang on Max._

"Hello?" Dr. Martinez's voice called sleepily from the other end of the phone.

"Dr. Martinez, this is Fang. I've found Max. She's hurt really bad."

"Oh no. Fang, describe the injury to me. Leave nothing out."

"Well, to start, she's sort of half-Eraser, half-human." Dr. Martinez inhaled deeply.

"Continue." she requested.

"There is a big chunk of flesh missing from her arm; I mean a REALLY big piece. She's lying on her side in pool of blood. Oh, and she's unconscious."

"Fang, I want you to find a piece of cloth, anything, and press it into the wound. Apply as much pressure as you need to to stop the bleeding. I am coming to pick you up. Where are you?"

"I'm in the middle of the forest behind your house. Not sure where."

"There's a park behind the forest. I am going to drive over there and then come find you. Also, I am sending your family out to find you. And most importantly, DO NOT LEAVE MAX."

Dr. Martinez hung up the phone, leaving Fang - and Max - alone in the forest. Fang ripped a piece of his black t-shirt off and stuffed it into Max's wound. The dark cloth turned darker as it soaked up blood. Fang had been sitting with Max for about three minutes when he heard Iggy's voice ringing out over the tree tops.

"Fang!" Iggy called. He was echoed by Nudge's, Gazzy's, Angel's, and even Total's voices.

"I'm over here!" Fang cried back, his voice thick with tears.

Iggy's acute hearing homed in on Fang's voice like a missile and soon the other members of the Flock landed in the clearing.

"Fang!" Angel cried and ran over to him. Tears were running down her cheeks. She hugged him tightly. Nudge and Gazzy came over and joined in until Iggy pulled all three of them away.

"How bad is it?" Iggy asked.

"Really bad." Fang replied. "Angel? Could you try to send Iggy a mental image?"

"I've never done it before, but I'll try." Angel frowned and appeared to be concentrating really hard. "Did it work?" she asked Iggy.

"Yeah, it did." Iggy was crying.

"Fang? Nudge asked. "Is Max going to . . . die?"

Fang looked at her sadly. "I don't know."

By the time Dr. Martinez had reached the park, the five members of the Flock had transported Max's limp body out of the forest and into the parking lot. Fang was worried. Max was losing more and more Eraser hair and becoming more and more human. But the human Max was deathly pale, like all of her blood had leaked out of her body, which it probably had.

Max's body, which was very corpse-like, was lifted into the back to the Martinez's van, and Dr. Martinez rushed them away to the veterinary clinic where she worked. Fang sat next to Max in the back, gently stroking her hair and trying to keep her as comfortable as possible. The ride seemed to last forever, but finally, they pulled into the parking lot of the "Happy Paws Veterinary Clinic."

After that, Dr. Martinez was all business. She brought out a small silver gurney and placed Max's body on it. Since it was designed for animals, Max's long legs hung off of one end and her hair off of the other. Fang walked by the gurney the entire time, holding Max's clammy hand. _Please be alright Max. I don't know what I'd do without you._

Max was wheeled into a white operating room. Fang froze for a brief second, inhaling the traumatizing scents of lab-like sterileness, but he followed Max almost immediately. All of those smell brought back bad memories from his childhood, but Fang brushed them away. Max was the only thing that mattered right now.

Fang couldn't help thinking of how blind he had been, fighting Max and not recognizing her. He had almost killed her! But didn't matter much anymore, because Max might die anyway.


	9. Without You, There Is Nothing Left

Fang and the rest of the Flock sat in the waiting room of the Happy Paws Veterinary Clinic. They were all very nervous. Gazzy was bouncing up and down in his chair. Total was chewing on a complementary dog biscuit. _Imagine that. Total actually stooped so low that he is eating regular dog food!_ Any other time, Fang would have teasingly pointed this out to the black, Scottie-like dog, but he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts. Max was in surgery, and the Flock was eagerly - and fearfully - awaiting the outcome.

Fang had his head in his hands while looking at his shoes. _How could I have fought Max like that? I should have known; I know Max better than anyone else . . ._ _Now looks what's happened. It's all my fault._

Dr. Martinez appeared in the waiting room, still wearing her surgical clothing. Fang jumped to his feet and rushed over, ready to pound anyone who got in his way.

"How's Max?" he demanded bitterly.

Dr. Martinez looked at the dark boy and smiled grimly. "I did the best I could Fang, but it's all up to Max now. She lost too much blood; I'm not sure if she'll make it."

Fang rolled up his sleeve and held his arm out. "I'll donate."

Dr. Martinez pushed Fang's arm down. "It's too late for that Fang. You would have to give about half your blood to do much good."

Tears clouded Fangs eyes. He offered up his arm again. "Do it." he commanded angrily.

Dr. Martinez shook her head. "No Fang."

"DO IT!" Fang screamed. Dr. Martinez looked shaken his outburst. Fang's lower jaw trembled. "Please." he said softly.

Dr. Martinez looked deep into Fang's piercing black eyes and saw his love for Max. Realizing that she could not convince him that his idea was impossible, Dr. Martinez reluctantly agreed. "Ok Fang." she sighed. "I'll do it."

Fang followed the vet into the starch white operating room. Max was lying on a silver table in the middle of the floor. An oxygen mask was hooked up to her face and several tubes fed into her body. Fang wanted to rip them all out and fly away with his Max, but he restrained himself. Fang walked over to Max's unconscious body and stroked her dirty blonde hair. Dr. Martinez trotted over to a counter and started selecting materials.

Dr. Martinez walked over to the operating table with a silver tray that was loaded with medical tools. She looked at Fang and then at Max. "You really love her, don't you?"

Fang looked up at her. Tears glistened in his eyes. "With all my heart." Dr. Martinez's expression softened. She gently grabbed Fang's arm and set it on a tall table used for holding medical tools during surgery. She held up a small pad for Fang to see.

"I am going to sterilize the skin now, ok? This may sting a little." Fang nodded and watched as she drug the small pad over an area of his skin. It tingled a little as it brushed over his scars, but he didn't complain. Then she held up a needle. Fang tensed, remembering the horrible times at the School in which he had been injected with chemicals. Dr. Martinez noticed his indecision and smile comfortingly.

"I am going to draw blood now. If you feel a little light headed, let me know immediately." she told him. Fang was still stiff, so Dr. Martinez showed him the needle, adding, "See, there is nothing in the needle." Fang relaxed a little.

Dr. Martinez positioned the needle on his skin, over a vein, and gently pressed down. Fang watched at the sharp tip pierced his skin and continued downwards into his blood vessel. Then the sucking started. It hurt a whole lot more than Fang had thought it would, but he clenched his teeth and didn't say a word. The needle's large cylinder filled up slowly with his red blood. _This is for you Max._

When the needle was full, Dr. Martinez set it down on the tray and picked up a new one.

"How are you feeling Fang?"

"Fine." In truth, his was feeling a little dizzy, but not too much. He didn't want Dr. Martinez to stop; Max needed the blood. Dr. Martinez nodded unbelievingly, but she pushed the needle into Fang's skin and began to draw more blood.

Fang was feeling woozy, like he had been on one too many amusement park rides after a large meal. Stars danced before his eyes. He was unsteady on his feet. Dr. Martinez noticed.

"That's enough for now."

Fang immediately snapped to attention. He looked at Dr. Martinez. "How much did you take?"

The veterinarian looked indecisive. "Nearly three pints. I shouldn't of taken that much."

Fang looked at Max, who was lying deathly still on the operating table. "How much does Max need?" Dr. Martinez didn't answer. "How. Much. Does. Max. Need?" Fang asked, venom dripping off of his words.

Dr. Martinez looked him straight in the eye. "About four pints. That's a deadly amount to draw from one person in a single sitting Fang. I won't draw anymore." Fang looked at Max's mother, then he looked at Max.

"Then I will." Fang shoved Dr. Martinez onto the ground, grabbed a needle off of the table, and pressed into his skin. He pulled up on the stopper handle. Red blood flowed into the cylinder at an alarming rate. Black spots blotted out Fang's vision.

"Fang, don't! You'll die!" Dr. Martinez cried, reaching her arm out to the boy.

Fang smiled at Max's mother. "Without Max, there is nothing left for me to live for." Fang felt his knees buckle and he sank to the white linoleum floor, unconscious.


	10. Coming To

I was all alone in a black pool of darkness that embraced me like a thick, never-ending fog. There was no light, no sound, no _anything_ in the darkness. I cried out, just to hear my own voice, a lone sound in this deathly quiet. My voice reverberated around me, increasing in volume until I cowered on the ground in pain, clutching my ears. _What is this awful place?_

I sat on the dark, ever-shifting ground and watched as light and dark colors swirled together in a mad dance. It was rather like sitting on glass with liquid below it, only the glass was missing. I slapped the liquid and watched as the colors swirled and jigged, sending out ripples throughout the rest of the pulsating mass.

Then, as if thrown on by a light switch, a bright, white, all-consuming light flooded my vision. It burned my eyes and my face, like a miniature sun. _ Am I back at the School?! Is this some sort of . . . isolation tank?_

"Max!" A voice beckoned. The sound appeared to be coming from the light. I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes tightly - not that it made much of a difference - and began to walk towards the light with my arms outstretched, hopping that I wouldn't bump into anything. How Iggy manages being blind? I have no clue.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Martinez sat in a roller chair by Max's beside, stroking her hair while calling her name. The girl had been in a coma for almost a day and a half, and was being to show signs of stirring. Max's eyes blinked open in the artificial lighting of the veterinary clinic's operating room, then closed again as the light burned her wide pupils.

Dr. Martinez hugged her daughter tightly. "Welcome home Max."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

O.k. I know I have never been much of a hugger - none of the Flock are - but I was so dang happy to see my mom as soon as I opened my eyes, well, I hugged her back. Hard. There, I admitted it.

I sat up, wincing slightly as my eyes adjusted to the lighting. I had no idea where I was, or how I had even got there. A familiar scent wafted by my nose. _Antiseptic. _I immediately was on high alert, looking for anything even remotely dangerous. My mom must have noticed, because she patted my arm comfortingly.

"We are at the veterinary clinic where I work," she explained. "You needed extensive surgery after your . . . accident."

I nodded and relaxed a little, but I was still as tense as a rubber band. Now my raptor hearing picked up a slight bit of scuffling outside of the operating room. I focused intently on the door, waiting for Erasers or Flyboys . . . or both, to come pouring in. My mom smiled.

"You can come in now." she called to whoever was waiting in the hall. I barely had time to ball my fists before I was caught in a flying tackle by Gazzy, who had rocketed through the door at high speed. My breath whooshed out of my lungs as I fell to the floor with the energetic eight-year-old on my chest.

Nudge, Iggy, Total, and Angel poured in after Gazzy. Nudge immediately started jabbering.

"Max, oh my gosh, we were so worried about you! Are you hurt? Do you feel sick? I hope not, but after all you've been through it's to be expected that you would hurt a little bit. What have you been through?! Why did you hurt yourself like that?"

"Nudge!" I exclaimed, hoping to cease her flood of questions. The eleven-year-old looked at me sheepishly. Gazzy planted a big, sloppy kiss on my forehead. Iggy must have heard it, because he snickered. Gazzy beamed at me.

_Glad you are o.k._ Angel's thoughts echoed in my brain. I smiled at her. Then I asked the question that I was aching to ask.

"Where's Fang?" The room was suddenly as silent as the grave. _Uh oh._ Iggy scraped his foot along the ground. Total whimpered quietly. My mom looked at me with sad eyes.

"Fang gave a donation of blood to you while you were in your coma. But he gave too much and went into shock." Here my mom paused, looking like she was going to cry. "Max, Fang is dying and there is nothing I can do about it."

I had become a big cry baby over the last few days, but even I was surprised at the massive flood of tears that poured out of my eyes. It was like a second Noah's Flood! _It couldn't be. Not Fang - my right-hand man, best friend, and . . . boyfriend._ I blinked rapidly to clear my tear-filled eyes, trying to see. It was like looking around with no goggles in a swimming pool. Only I wasn't in a pool.

"Where's Fang?" I managed to choke out in between sobs. My mom looked at me.

"Max, I'm not sure if your should . . ."

I grabbed my mom's shirt in both hands and pulled her close to me. "Where is Fang?" I growled in her face. My menacing expression must have had the effect I desired, because Mom's defiant stare melted into concern and fear.

"Put me down," she sighed, "and I'll take you to him." I dropped my mom on the floor, startled to find that I had unconsciously picked her up about an inch. Mom spun on her heel and marched out the door, with me in hot pursuit, and trotted down the white polished hallway adjoining the operating room. Finally she stopped so suddenly that I almost ran into her.

Mom turned and looked me straight in the eye. "Max, don't do anything rash. Okay?" I swallowed and nodded grimly. Dr. Martinez swung open a door that I hadn't noticed before; it blended into the wall so well.

I looked into the room. It was similar to the operating room I had just left, only smaller and more compact. Fang lay on a stainless steel table in the middle of the room, softly illuminated by lights.

He looked like death. Fang's skin was pure white, almost transparent, and clung to him so tightly that I could see his bones. His hair hung limply over the side of the table like over-cooked spaghetti. His eyes were closed and his lips were pursed in a tight frown. I stared at Fang in astonishment. Why, he was no more than a pile of bones!

I felt my mom's hand caress my shoulder gently, but I shook her off and ran to Fang. I stood next to him and clasped his hand so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Tears streaked down my cheeks.

"Fang!" I cried. "Fang why did you do it?! Why did you . . ." I wasn't able to get the last word past my lips. I just couldn't believe it. Fang was dead.

Once again I felt my mom's hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her kind face with teared-streaked eyes. "Why did you let him die? Why?" I whispered, putting every single emotion that I was feeling into my words.

"Max, I did everything I could." My mom and I stood still together, watching Fang's limp body and softly crying. Well, my crying wasn't that soft, it was more like sobbing, but that's beside the point.

_**You can still save him, Max.**_

I immediately perked up. _Long time, no annoy Voice. Mind throwing that juicy tidbit by me again?_

I could have sworn that the Voice chuckled. _**I said "You can still save Fang."**_

_What!? How?_

_**Follow you heart, Max. It knows the way.**_

___I didn't ask for any of your fortune cookie crap. How can I save Fang? Tell me!_

The Voice was silent just like it always was when I really needed its help. Dang, that thing is so - so annoying!

"Max," my mom said, breaking through my thoughts, "I think we should go." I looked at my mom, realizing she was right, but hating to leave Fang. There was nothing I could do - anyone could do - for him now.

I wiped the tears off of my cheeks and leaned over Fang. "Goodbye Fang," I whispered so softly that even _I_ couldn't hear it. Then, get this. I kissed him.

Alright, I'll admit it. I have always enjoyed kissing Fang, always will. But I put more passion into that one kiss than I ever had in any of the other kisses. Maybe it was the fact that I knew I would never kiss Fang again, or maybe it was my way of saying 'thank you.' I don't know for sure. All I know is that I realized that I really, really, REALLY needed Fang, and now that he was gone, I didn't know what to do.

I finally broke my kiss, after like three whole minutes, and turned to follow my mom. I never looked back.


	11. The Ride Continues

Thank you for reading Maximum Ride: Out For Revenge. Please review if you have the time. Even though this story has ended, the ride has not. Is Fang really dead? What did the Voice mean when it said that Max could save Fang if she followed her heart? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the second book in my Maximum Ride series, Maximum Ride: Broken Promises, Broken Hearts. Fly high and enjoy the ride.


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